All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

Oh I'm sure they'll wipe out Spa. (There's already talk of splitting Spa's date with a revived Paul Ricard)

 

Uggh. Hope not. I'd rather have Spa than NYC. (I'm guessing the Spa/Paul Ricard alternating plan will save Spa long-term, but we'll see.)

I've heard there's a very good chance Spain gets knocked down to one race, which could alternate between Barcelona and Valencia.

Dropping Bahrain or one Spanish race would make room for NYC in 2013. If any of the proposed Russia/Mexico/Argentina races come through, then things get interesting.

I think two was probably enough in Korea, if they're looking for a drop...

 

Two great tastes that taste great together: Formula 1 and ... New Jersey?

 

Alex Zanardi won the hand cycle class of the New York Marathon. Nice!

http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/95993

 

F1 race in Austin in some pretty serious trouble, per two announcements today which follow comments by Bernie recently.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111115/F1/111119915
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111115/F1/111119910

I find the comments from Susan Combs in the first link interesting. I haven't paid close attention to the details, but I thought it was presumed all along Texas would be kicking in the $25 million BEFORE to help pay the sanctioning fee. Combs seems to make it clear it was known all along that money would only be paid AFTER and only if enough money was brought in by the event itself.

 

I'm not quite sure what to make of all this. It sounds pretty dire.

But... the bottom line seems to be one guy has a race, the other guy has a track. Either they get together, or they are both out millions of dollars. Sooner or later you figure they have to reach a deal, don't they?

I was told this summer by someone semi-well connected in F1 that the race would absolutely happen because they had hit the point where failing would be more expensive than finishing the project. We'll see, I guess.

 

Bernie talked to Autoweek about the Austin race. Things are not looking good.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111128/F1/111129932?utm_source=DailyDrive20111128&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=article1&utm_content=20111128-Exclusive__Bernie_Ecclestone_talks_to_Autoweek_about_Austin_Grand_Prix&utm_campaign=awdailydrive

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-barnhart-removed-from-race-control-angstadt-fired/

It took WAY too long, but better late than never I guess.

 

I love, love, love that those fools down in Texas are falling flat on their faces...and the track construction is already underway.

I love it when a 1 percent is pwned.

 

The idea of Scott Pruett is interesting, but does he have any experience in a supervisory position?

 

Newman-Haas bails on IndyCar.

http://tinyurl.com/d765zcj